§ 15. Mr. J. GUESTasked the Minister of Pensions if he will give the status and qualification of the officers of the Ministry who decide upon questions of entitlement to pension; whether the decisions arrived at are given after consideration of the case by one official only, or by two or more officials giving joint consideration; and whether any hon. Members of this House are called in to assist in this work?
§ Major TRYONEvery decision on entitlement represents the result of consideration by at least two specially selected officers, one of whom is a medical man. Cases presenting features of doubt or difficulty are submitted to headquarters for consideration by the Director - General of Awards. The Director-General of Awards occasionally avails himself of the technical military knowledge of my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Skipton (Lieut.-Colonel Roundell), but the latter is in no sense responsible for any decision reached.
§ Mr. GUESTDo these medical men, or the officials dealing with the cases, attach to the medical papers of the man, which are sent forward to the Appeals Tibunal, a reasoned statement supporting the conclusions they have arrived at, and is this treated as private and confidential, and kept away from the knowledge of the man when the appeal is heard?
§ Major TRYONThe position is this: If any man is not satisfied with the result of his entitlement decision, he is entitled to appeal to the independent Appeals Tribunal. He then submits the case again, and instructions are given to our local committees to afford him every assistance. We then consider the case again, because fresh evidence may be submitted by the man, and in a great many cases we grant pension, because the new evidence enables us to do so, but if not the case goes on, without any attempt to prejudice the case in any way, to the further tribunal. We do everything we can to help. As my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Skipton has been alluded to in the question just put, I hope I may be allowed to say—and I trust the House will agree with me—that the hon. and gallant Member, as my Parliamentary private secretary, has done his very best to help members of all parties who come to 2344 him in reference to pension questions. He is able to make that help more valuable by keeping himself, as he does, in personal touch, not only with the matter of entitlement, dealt with in this question, but with the actual work of other branches of the Ministry.
§ Mr. GUESTIs the hon. Gentleman aware that I have as much respect for the hon. and gallant Member for Skipton as he has and that I have in no way reflected on the hon. and gallant Member's integrity in regard to this question? May I ask for a definite answer to my question, whether papers are attached to the man's medical history when it is sent to the Appeals Tribunal, which are not open to the man's knowledge?
§ Major TRYONI do not wish in any sense to avoid a definite answer, but I would be glad if my hon. Friend would put that question down. Our whole attitude is that we have no wish to prejudice the findings of the tribunal in any way, and we make all arrangements to have all the available information placed at their disposal. May I add that I quite realise that my hon. Friend was not in any way attacking the hon. and gallant Member for Skipton. I was simply showing how it came to pass that the hon. and gallant Member was taking part in this and other branches of the work of the Ministry.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERWill the hon. Gentleman take steps to ensure that the men are informed, if they have got fresh evidence to bring before the Appeals Tribunal, that they are entitled to do so?
§ Major TRYONYes. I entirely agree with my hon. and learned Friend. The whole knowledge is made available, and very often cases are granted, if new evidence enables us to do so, without going to the Appeals Tribunal at all.
§ 16. Mr. GUESTasked the Minister of Pensions the number of entitlement cases of ex-service men dealt with by the Ministry during the 12 months ending 31st January, 1922, together with the number of such cases dealt with in which the Ministry decided that entitlement was not proven?
§ Major TRYONDuring the year ending 31st January, 1922, approximately 72,500 first applications for disablement 2345 pension have been dealt with, and in about 17,500 of these entitlement was not admitted.